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Gap years: the possibilities

In your gap year, you could do anything:

• volunteer abroad
• do some work experience in the UK to build up your skills
• see a bit of the world

Taking a gap year is a good way of gaining more experience in new environments before going on to further study at university or living away from home.

It could be your first time away from school or college with no teachers or assignments to worry about. If you choose to work, it might be the first time you've worked full-time. Whatever you do, taking a gap year could be a good way to help your confidence and to become more independent before university.

• Volunteering if you're between 14 and 19
• Voluntary work placements
• Getting into university and higher education (education and learning section)

Boost your career prospects

Even if getting a job seems a long way off, taking a gap year can also look good on your CV. Potential employers see that you have spent time broadening your horizons and learning new skills.

If you spend a year volunteering for an industry or organisation you would like to get into in the future, employers will see that you are dedicated to advancing your career.

If you want to return to college or university, a gap year shows that you are committed to your education. You may find that you approach learning in a different way after a year out.

• Advantages of taking a gap year - find out more Opens new window

Gap year options

Working and travelling abroad

You may want to go travelling and sample life in other countries during your gap year. Many tour operators run gap year trips that visit as many places as possible in a year.

If you haven't saved enough money before you leave, you could work your way around the world, or even teach English as a foreign language. You may need to have certain types of visa to work in some countries, so check before you go.

• Education and jobs (britons living abroad section)
• More information on gap years abroad Opens new window
• Get the latest foreign travel advice Opens new window

Working in the UK

You might want to spend the year working in the UK and saving money for your future studies. You could get a regular full-time job, or maybe some temporary or part-time work that still lets you have some time off to enjoy your year out.

You may also want to split your gap year and spend the first six months working to save money to pay for your travels in the second half of the year.

Ask a careers or Connexions adviser about schemes that let you spend your gap year working in an industry related to your studies or future career plans.

You could also look into completing a 'Year in Industry', where you can discover how the business world operates. This gives you the chance to work with new people and learn some relevant skills. Some people, who take this opportunity, are awarded scholarships to help them through higher education.

• Finding and applying for your first job
• Find your nearest Connexions adviser Opens new window
• How to spend a year industry Opens new window

Volunteering

Many organisations offer young people the chance to volunteer in different countries around the world.

Opportunities range from helping out in school classrooms or children's summer camps to assisting in Aids or leprosy clinics. Volunteering takes dedication and hard work, but it is a unique chance to experience other cultures.

If you want to stay closer to home, there are many projects in the UK that need volunteers.

• Volunteering if you're between 14 and 19
• Find out about volunteering opportunities at do-it.org.uk Opens new window
• Read an overseas volunteer's blog Opens new window